This invention relates to uterine fibroid treatment.
Cellular proliferation and differentiation in uterine tissue is considered to be regulated by ovarian steroids as fibroids appear in the reproductive years and regress after the menopause. Uterine fibroids are most commonly treated by surgery, usually by full or partial hysterectomy, although removal of individual fibroids (myomectomy) is also undertaken at rather greater risk on women who have not completed child bearing. As far as medical treatment is concerned, agonist analogues of LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) such as Buserilin (GnRH analogue) have been employed to suppress oestrogen-progesterone as fibroids are ovarian steroid dependent. Such medical treatments, however, suffer from a variety of side effects such as predisposition to osteopetrosis and are not recommended for long term use.